Hilton has launched a new brand of hotels called Curio, with five properties to make up the initial batch of the "distinctive four- to five-star hotels," the company announced today. While each of the five will retain a distinctive look and feel, Hilton said, they'll all be bookable through Hilton and, critically, stays will allow guests to accrue HHonors loyalty points.

Among the first Curio properties will be the highly anticipated SLS Las Vegas, Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, South Dakota, The Franklin Hotel in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the Sam Houston Hotel in Houston. A fifth newly built property in Portland, Oregon is planned for "late 2016," Hilton says.

The focus on independent hotels that offer a sense of place—even when backed by big brands—is a growing trend in the hospitality sector. The Curio collection is similar to Marriott's Autograph Collection of unique properties, and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts released an ad campaign around the idea of "a sense of place" last fall. Some of Condé Nast Traveler's favorite hotels—like those on our 2014 Hot List—embrace that philosophy, too, as Pilar Guzmán wrote last month:

"By virtue of the fact that they let you 'live' in a borrowed space for a period of time, hotels go beyond decorative fantasies. They are places where you get to try on a new identity—a lifestyle or a persona far different from your own. You may have a house filled with French Second Empire antiques but love spending a few nights at the monastic Temple Hotel in Beijing because it’s an aesthetic departure from your regular life. And the Segera Retreat on Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, a testament to the owner’s sense of refinement and adventure, might make you fast-track your plan B for a more nomadic life."

Curio isn't the only news to expect from Hilton. The hotel company says it will announce another "unique concept" later this year.